5/20: 'I Played' is Award-Nominated!

Good in the Game 5/20

May 20, 2025

Good morning, football fans! Calvin Johnson Jr., a 2018 College Football Hall of Fame inductee from Georgia Tech, will host his 3rd Annual “Catching Dreams Weekend” from June 28-30!

The National Football Foundation (NFF) announced last week that the PSA for its ‘I Played’ campaign has been named a finalist in two categories — Outstanding In-Venue Video and Outstanding Social Media Video — for the 2025 College Sports Media Awards presented by Sports Video Group (SVG) and NACDA!

Part of the NFF's larger I Played initiative, the nominated 30-second spot celebrates the lasting impact of football on those who play it. Launched in 2024, I Played invites former players from all levels to share their stories and reflect on how the game shaped their lives — promoting camaraderie, character, and the lifelong value of participation.

In the latest episode of the Good in the Game Podcast, host LaVar Arrington sits down with the head coach of the Syracuse Orange, Fran Brown. Coach Brown dives into what got him into the game, his time at Georgia winning a national title and why the game of football is so important to him.

Join us to celebrate college football legends such as Montee Ball, Graham Harrell, Michael Strahan, Michael Vick and many, many more at one of the sport's grandest traditions — the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas — Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, at the iconic Bellagio Hotel & Casino.

The highlight of the Awards Dinner will be the induction of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class, where 18 legendary players and four acclaimed coaches take their place amongst the greatest of all time. The inductees proudly represent every region of the country, 28 collegiate institutions, 11 conferences, and seven decades.

NFF chapters continue with a busy slate of events across the country, celebrating the best scholar-athletes from their respective regions. Collectively, the network will award more than $1 million in local scholarships this year while recognizing 3,500 high school and college student-athletes. Spanning 120 chapters in 47 states, the NFF Chapter Network serves as the heartbeat of a nationwide effort to promote amateur football and instill leadership, sportsmanship, and academic excellence among young players. The movement traces back to 1954, when the Cincinnati Club first discussed forming NFF chapters. Today, more than 12,000 passionate members continue that legacy, dedicated to Building Leaders Through Football. Together, they host more than 300 events annually, reaching 500,000 football players at 5,000 high schools.

Top Left: Twelve Kansas high school senior football players were honored by the NFF Coach Bill Snyder Family/Sunflower Chapter on May 7. They were joined by the chapter’s namesake, 2015 College Football Hall of Fame Coach Bill Snyder, who posed with the honorees for a group photo.

Top Middle: The NFF Vermont Chapter hosted its annual awards banquet on May 4, honoring high school and college scholar-athletes as well as top coaches and supporters of the game in the state. Jeremy Henault, a four-year starter and team captain at Norwich University, was among the college honorees. He was joined by his coach, Bill Russell.

Top Right: Tayvion Smith, a defensive lineman at Lakes High School, was honored by the NFF Tacoma-Pierce County Chapter on May 4. Smith will play defensive end at Central Washington University this fall. He was joined by Lakes High School head coach Dave Miller.

Bottom Right: The NFF Texas Tech Chapter hosted its annual athlete awards dinner on April 30, awarding 22 scholarships totaling $49,000. Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire delivered the keynote address.

Bottom Left: The NFF Greater Austin Chapter, established in 1992, held its annual event on May 4, honoring more than two dozen scholar-athletes.

Photo: SMU Athletics

Jerry Ball, who was a two-time All-American at SMU and played 13 years in the NFL, including a 3x All-Pro selection with the Lions, has been named the president of the NFF Golden Triangle Chapter, covering the metropolitan area in Southeast Texas near the Louisiana border.

Photo: ABC 7 Denver

From the gridiron to the principal’s office, Rick Brewer is tackling his new role at Ute Meadows Elementary School in Littleton, Colorado, with the same passion that made him a standout linebacker at Colorado State.

Photo: Nile Kinnick

As the nation prepares to celebrate Memorial Day, the NFF remembers the 14 members of the College Football Hall of Fame who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, dying in battle. They reached the Hall of Fame by how they played, but they reached immortality by how they served. With extreme gratitude, we remember both their greatness and their sacrifice.

Hobey Baker (Princeton) – World War I
Charley Barrett (Cornell) – World War I
Al Blozis (Georgetown) – World War II
Paul Bunker (Army) – World War II
Gary Cochran (Princeton) – World War I
Jim Holder (Oklahoma Panhandle State) – Vietnam
Don Holleder (Army) – Vietnam
Nile Kinnick (Iowa) – World War II
Bill Mallory (Yale) – World War II
Winchester Osgood (Cornell) – Cuban War of Independence
Joe Routt (Texas A&M) – World War II
Dave Schreiner (Wisconsin) – World War II
Pat Tillman (Arizona State) – U.S. War in Afghanistan
Waddy Young (Oklahoma) – World War II

Bobby Franklin, who was the MVP in a pair of bowl games for Ole Miss at quarterback and was inducted into the Ole Miss Athletic Hall of Fame in 1988, has passed away. He was 88.

Tommy Vigorito, who played running back at Virginia from 1977-80 and earned First-Team All-ACC honors in 1979 for the Cavaliers, has passed away. He was 65.

Nate Jennings, a defensive lineman at West Liberty University who had recently transferred from the University of Northwestern—St. Paul in Minnesota, has passed away. He was 19.

Gary Peterson, who played collegiately for both Minnesota and Texas Lutheran before starting a career in coaching that included San Antonio Coach of the Year honors in 1976, has passed away. He was 84.

Charlie Stewart Jr., who played both football and lacrosse at Denison University, has passed away. He was 81.

Charles (Ace) Rogers, a defensive back at Iowa State and then Minnesota, passed away May 17 after suffering a heart attack during the Brooklyn Half Marathon. He was 31.

Name: Rick LaFavers
High School: Amarillo High School (Amarillo, Texas)
College: Texas Christian
Now: Head Coach, Ridge Point HS (Texas)

Share your football story with us! We want to know what football means to you, the lessons you learned, and the opportunities it provided.

June 2 — 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Ballot released

June 17 — NFF Team of Distinction announced

July 24-26 — Campbell Trophy Summit at Stanford University

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